The 40th annual conference is set for July 2 – 6 at the Conference Center at Pitt-Johnstown, on the picturesque campus of the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, PA. The campus is a 650-acre mountaintop wildlife preserve with 40 acres of hiking trails.

See.. Eat.. Hear.. FEEL VEGAN. Two days of vegan exploration await you. Nourish your taste buds on scrumptious plant-based food from New York’s famed vegan restaurants – the best in the world! Get inspired by world-renowned speakers, champion athletes, and top chefs. Provoke new thoughts with award-winning films and their directors. Discover the vast market of cruelty-free products and services. And much more.

The Seed invites the vegan-curious, vegan-skeptical, and vegan choir to explore what we have to offer today. You’ll gain understanding of the endless benefits of a compassionate, healthful, and earth-conscious existence of the vegan & plant-based lifestyle.

I’ll be making Irresistible Vegan Chocolate Desserts For Everyone in the Demo Room at 2:00pm on Sunday, the 10th.

I’ll be the featured author at this year’s Walk for Farm Animals. I will have copies for Vegan Chocolate and More Great Good Dairy-Free Dessserts for sale at a discount, and a percentage of sales will be donated to Farm Sanctuary.

The Walk for Farm Animals raises vital funds for Farm Sanctuary’s lifesaving work and brings together thousands of people to change hearts and minds about farm animals. Will you join us in New York to support compassion for all?

Walk Details

*We will start the 2.25 mile route at 11 AM and will walk for about 1 hour. Celebration to follow.*

Directions and Parking: The New York Walk will be held at Central Park. You can enter “4 Columbus Circle, New York, NY” into your GPS for directions to the general area. We will meet at Merchant’s Gate which is at the Columbus Circle entrance to the park (SW corner). For a visual guide, we will be at the red box on this map . The closest subway station is 59th Street – Columbus Circle (A, C, D, 1). You may plan your trip using public transportation at MTA.info. For those parking, you can visit this site to find the best parking rates for the area.

Entertainment: Musical entertainment to be announced.

Children’s Costume Contest: This year we will be holding a children’s costume contest at the New York Walk! Participants must be ages 12 and under and you may come dressed as anything you wish (it does not have to be animal oriented). Participants will be judged on realism and creativity! Extra points if it looks like you are having loads of fun! The winner will receive a prize, and there will be runner up prizes as well! We look forward to seeing what the younger generation of farm animal lovers will surprise us with! Any questions, please contact Farm Sanctuary: nyc@walkforfarmanimals.org.

Book Signing: Fran Costigan, “Queen of Vegan Desserts!” Fran is an internationally recognized culinary instructor, author and consultant whose innovative recipes marry healthy eating with sumptuous tastes. A professionally trained pastry chef, Fran worked in both traditional and vegan kitchens before moving into teaching over 22 years ago. She will be selling her books, Vegan Chocolate: Unapologetically Luscious and Decadent Dairy-Free Desserts and More Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts Naturally, at the Walk. Please bring cash to purchase.

Walk Information

The 2.25 mile Walk route can be found here. The Walk will be held rain or shine. Dogs are welcome at this event.

This Festival brings together an amazing array of vegetarian natural food providers, top national speakers and chefs, and educational exhibitors in a fun and welcoming environment. It is a chance to talk directly to food producers, learn the newest items in the marketplace, taste free food samples, shop at show special discounts, or simply learn what vegetarian foods are available and where you can find them!

Whether you are a longtime vegetarian or vegan, or someone simply wanting to add more delicious plant-based foods to your meal repertoire, or if you are just curious what it’s all about, you are welcome here! We offer you free admission, free food sampling, free speaker presentations, free parking and a T stop across the street.

You also can learn of ways to help animals and protect the environment, and enhance your health and well being. There are activities for kids, too!